Enrollment
1,589
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 260096908139 Charter school
Michigan Connections Academy — Okemos, MI
Federal NCES profile for Michigan Connections Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 9
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 41
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Michigan Connections Academy · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michigan Connections Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Michigan Connections Academy reports 1,589 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 73.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 22.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 25% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 43% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 60.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% above the Michigan average and 16% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 397 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Michigan Connections Academy spends $9,234 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 0.2% from local sources (property taxes), 86.2% from the state, and 13.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Michigan Connections Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 25% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.2% | ▲ 11% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,589 | top 99% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
60.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
— 25% above state mean
Top 91% in Michigan — lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,234
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 397 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,589 Top 99% in Michigan — larger than 1% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 73.0
Students per teacher 22.7:1 +25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 60.2% +11% vs state
NCES ID 260096908139
Student demographics
White 59.0%
African American 20.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 397:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Michigan Connections Academy, which includes Michigan Connections Academy.
$9,234
Per student
-42%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-53%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 0.2%
State 86.2%
Federal 13.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Michigan Connections Academy
How many students attend Michigan Connections Academy?
Michigan Connections Academy has 1,589 students enrolled. It is a other school in Okemos, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michigan Connections Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Michigan Connections Academy is 22.7:1, which is 25% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Michigan Connections Academy?
60.2% of students at Michigan Connections Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michigan Connections Academy?
The largest demographic group at Michigan Connections Academy is White at 59.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Okemos, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michigan Connections Academy?
Michigan Connections Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.